Holding apparatus for securing a fan for cooling a component of a vehicle

Abstract

A holding apparatus for securing a fan for cooling a component of a vehicle, having a main body made from foam material. The main body has a fan receptacle for receiving the fan in a positively locking manner at least in sections. The fan receptacle has an air inlet for feeding in air to the fan and an air outlet for discharging air from the fan. The main body also has at least one inlet opening with an adjoining inlet duct and at least one outlet opening with an adjoining outlet duct. The inlet duct is in a fluid-communicating connection with the air inlet and the outlet duct is in a fluid-communicating connection with the air outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A holding apparatus for securing a fan for cooling a component of a vehicle, the holding apparatus comprising:
 a main body having a fan receptacle for receiving the fan in a positively locking manner, and the fan receptacle having (i) an air inlet through which air is delivered into the main body and for feeding in air to the fan, and (ii) an air outlet for discharging air from the fan, the fan receptacle configured and sized to undergo elastic deformation upon receiving the fan, 
 the main body having at least one inlet opening with an adjoining inlet duct and at least one outlet opening with an adjoining outlet duct, the inlet duct being in a fluid-communicating connection with the air inlet and the outlet duct being in a fluid-communicating connection with the air outlet, 
 wherein the air inlet and air outlet openings are disposed on a same side of the main body. 
 
     
     
       2. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fan receptacle for receiving the fan in a positively locking manner has at least one positively locking section, the positively locking section having the air inlet or the air outlet. 
     
     
       3. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, an outer side of the main body has at least one fastening section for fastening to the vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, an outer side of the main body has at least one positioning section for relative positioning of the holding apparatus in the vehicle. 
     
     
       5. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main body has at least two outlet openings, the outlet duct having two part outlet ducts which open into the two outlet openings. 
     
     
       6. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one outlet opening has a nozzle-shaped cross section for a directed or accelerated output of air flow. 
     
     
       7. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main body is made from foam material and at least a portion of the foam material of the main body has an elastic matrix. 
     
     
       8. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main body is composed of either Polyurethane (PUR) or Polyphenylene Ether (PPE). 
     
     
       9. A fan module for cooling a component of a vehicle, the fan module comprising the holding apparatus of  claim 1  and the fan, the fan being arranged in the fan receptacle, the fan having a blower outlet in a fluid-communicating connection with the air outlet and the fan having a blower inlet in a fluid-communicating connection with the air inlet. 
     
     
       10. A method for mounting the fan module of  claim 9 , comprising:
 inserting the fan into the fan receptacle of the holding apparatus, and 
 configuring the positively locking connection between the fan and the fan receptacle. 
 
     
     
       11. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fan receptacle is disposed on one side of the main body, and the inlet and outlet openings are provided on a different side of the main body. 
     
     
       12. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening is disposed on two different sides of the main body. 
     
     
       13. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the inlet opening and the outlet opening have different cross-sections. 
     
     
       14. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein different sections of the main body have a different modulus of elasticity. 
     
     
       15. The holding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein only a section of the main body is configured and sized to undergo elastic deformation upon receiving the fan.